Hisham Matar: compelling interview

I listened to this on the metro on the way to work this morning: Eleanor Wachtel interviewing Libyan novelist Hisham Matar.


I read In the Country of Men when it came out a few years ago. Fascinating read. Haven't read Matar's new one but this interview sure makes me want to run out and find a copy.

At one point, I was tearing up with Matar was talking about his father and the letters he received while he was imprisoned in Libya. No word has ever reached Matar about his father's fate and the last sighting was in 2002 by another prisoner who said he saw him in a Libyan prison. He was kidnapped in 1990.

We really wanted him as part of our 2011 Festival but it didn't work out timing-wise (as is often the case) which was a shame.
Luckily Writers and Company is on top of it. Listen to the very engaging and moving interview here.